Mayor’s Transport Strategy is good news for rail

Northern Line trains pass at Clapham Common station

Boris Johnson’s latest draft Transport Strategy outlines numerous exciting proposals for the capital’s rail network.

These include extending the Northern Line,Docklands Light Railway and Tramlink networks along with construction of a Crossrail 2 line,linking Chelsea and Hackney.

Enhancements to routes outside of London are also mooted to encourage freight,that does not serve London,to avoid the capital and free up much needed capacity so that passenger services can be increased. At present requests for additional passenger train paths have to compete with freight that is passing through London.

The draft also mentions providing new facilities allowing transfer between road and rail freight in the Thames Gateway and elsewhere in London.

Improvements to the busy Northern Line would see it extended to Battersea,serving the regenerated area around Nine Elms,and further upgrade work which would dramatically increase capacity through the city. Over a billion passenger journeys are made a year on the tube.That equates to the number of passengers carried on the entire National Rail network.

The DLR could reach Dagenham Dock,an area that plays a key part in the Government’s housing plans,and Victoria.

Consideration is also being given to creating a Tramlink north-south axis,which would accommodate Croydon’s future growth needs. In addition a proposal has been put forward to extend the Tramlink network so it can serve completely new areas.